At the time I read this I was reading simply for collection development purchases and did not do my duty to review the books on NetGalley. I do apologize. We did not purchase this book in 2012 but rather in eBook format later.

Cemetery restorer Amelia Gray finds herself spun into a spider’s web upon her return to Charleston, South Carolina. After the physical and mental trauma of her stay in Asher Falls, Amelia’s life is returning to normal when the ghost of murdered cop Robert Fremont asks for her help in finding his killer so that he can move on. Amelia knows better than to acknowledge the dead or interact with them; her father taught her from a young age how to deal with the ghosts they both saw. Now Amelia has broken all four of his rules and finds herself at the mercy of this ghost who can appear as real as any man, at any time of day. Her interactions with him have opened a door for all sorts of evil to come forward.

It is no wonder that Amelia finds herself craving the closeness of Detective John Devlin whom she pushed away when the ghosts of his wife and daughter overwhelmed her. Amelia stumbles across Devlin’s path walking her dog Angus but hides in the shadows. Seeking him out late one night, she goes to his home only to find another visitor already there and overhears a conversation about Grey Dust, a substance used by root doctors to stop the heart so a person can cross over the veil and visit the other side. However, just the mention of its name seems to conjure dark forces. The root doctor Darius Goodwine who brought Grey Dust from Africa just happens to be the cousin of John Devlin’s wife Mariama. As we learn more about the relationships between characters, familial or not, they become tangled and twisted.

Deep in the shadows, Fremont’s ghost oversees Amelia’s efforts to find out what, and who, killed him. Without any training or guidance, Amelia stumbles in her efforts to investigate. She uncovers more than she bargained for and discovers a blackmail scheme, a possible mercy killing, and even a dead body covered in the beetles she dreamt about the night before.

Despite the romantic overtures and spooky circumstances, the first half of the book moved cautiously. It focused on creating the eerie atmosphere that flowed through every page. The prose pricked at our senses with its lush descriptions of scents, sounds, and tastes. We went through raw emotions of fear and dread as the spirits flowed around Amelia. The chemical attraction between Devlin and Amelia was palpable. Yet as the root doctor seemed to have Amelia in his grip and Devlin came to her rescue, the pace quickened and held me tightly in its grip. Unable to fall asleep near the end, I realized I should have just stayed up late and finished the book rather than tossing and turning with that eerie atmosphere pervading my own dreams.

Third in the Graveyard Queen series, The Prophet expounds on the story and atmosphere promised in The Retorer, answering some questions and posing more.

Yet again we meet Amanda Stevens Graveyard Queen. This is a suspenseful and romantic series with graveyards as the perfect and eerie setting(as if ghosts weren't enough). The third installment is as good as the first two! I would describe it as unputdownable. I finished the entire series and it is a favorite of mine, and I do have a tiny hope Stevens will one day return to it(or at least that we get a tv-series based on the books).

I liked this one less than her previous books unfortunately but sill enjoyed it